Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 October 2020
49. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration if he will expand on the provision in budget 2021 to give an additional €5 million to youth services; if he will address existing funding anomalies in relation to existing funding streams to address funding inequalities in counties affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31354/20]
View answerIt is in recognition of the importance of supporting young people at this time that I have secured an additional €5 million investment in youth services for 2021. This funding will support the delivery of universal and targeted youth services nationwide. My officials and I will, over the coming weeks, be considering how we can best use this funding to ensure that youth services support young people through this very challenging period, with a particular view to their mental wellbeing and their social and employment prospects.
I am not clear on what the Deputy means by funding anomalies. However, it is important to note that, in addition to funding universal youth services aimed at all young people, my Department funds targeted youth services through the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme. Under this scheme, €38.7million was allocated in 2020, to support young people between the ages of 10 and 24 who are at risk of becoming disadvantaged, marginalised or vulnerable.
The scheme is underpinned by the Area Profile, Needs Assessment and Service Requirement (APNASR) process. The APNASR Tool supports each Education and Training Board (ETB) to gather and use available demographic data and local knowledge to produce an area profile of their functional area. The ETB then carries out an analysis of the data to identify the needs of young people in that area. This results in a Service Requirement for new or existing projects that will be funded by the Department under UBU. The approach ensures that we can target supports to the young people most in need of intervention and that funding is allocated on the basis of evidence- informed need.
It should be noted the ETB is there to support funded youth organisations in implementing the Service Requirement of the area. The ETB Youth Officer meets regularly with each youth organisation to this end.
